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In times of old, dragons ruled the earth instead of hiding their politics behind the shadow of the kingdoms of men. In those times, the scaled titans took humanoids under their wing, offering them magic and knowledge for service in their great armies and kingdoms they once ruled. While the Age of Dragons has passed and human empires dominate the land now, the draconic knight lives on in two forms. One who flies through the air, crushing his foes under his heavy armor and lance, and one who leaps gracefully into the air, dodging his enemies' attacks as he leaps upon them, slicing the very flesh from their bones. These are the Agile Pouncers.

Abilities: As a melee class which needs to jump high and far, Strength is important, as is a solid Constitution score. Charisma helps with various class abilities, while Wisdom helps up shore a poor will save and aids in some important skills. Intelligence will help you have some skills when a lance to the face is not the answer. Dexterity helps with AC.

Races: Any race can produce dragoons, but due to the draconic nature of the class it is races that have good relations with the scaled titans that produce them in number.

Alignment: Any, although True Neutral dragoons are very rare due to the nature of their draconic bond.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dragoons are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, and all shields(except for tower shields.)

Chosen Dragon: A dragoon selects a dragon type which determines his class benefits as he grows, and his alignment restrictions. A dragoon must stay within one step of the alignment of his chosen dragon type or become an ex-dragoon. For example, a gold dragon based dragoon can be LG, LN, and NG. The dragoon gains the class skills associated with their chosen dragon as well. For example the blue dragon considers Bluff, Hide, and Spellcraft as class skills.

Dragon's Blessing: The blessing of dragonkind of past and present empowers you, granting you unique skills at 1st level and every 5 levels beyond (5th, 10th, 15th, etc). You may select the same dragon's blessing multiple times, their effects stack.

Breath Weapon (Su): You gain a breath weapon associated with your chosen dragon's element, in either a 30 foot cone or a 60 foot line shape selected when you obtain this ability. The breath weapon draws from a pool of energy equal to 3x your class level. For each charge of energy used you deal 1d6 points of damage with your breath weapon, up to a maximum of 2d6 points in one breath. For unusual breath energy types, such as force or sonic, the damage is messured in 1d4 for every charge. You regain your energy charges through resting for 8 hours. The breath weapon has a reflex save for your breath is DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Constitution modifier for half. Each time you select this ability, the maximum cap how much you can breath at once rises by 2 points. For example if you took this ability three times you could breath any amount from 1d6 to 6d6 points of damage.

Draconic Armor (Su): Your body gains the supernatural toughness of a dragon, granting you damage reduction 1/magic. This permits you to bypass DR/magic of your opponents with your attacks. Each time you take this you gain the previous benefit +1 (that is DR 1/magic, +2, +3, +4, etc.)

Dragon Arcana (Sp): You may learn an additional spell-like ability for your Dragon Magic class feature, which you may cast 1/day, but to the highest level ability you can cast. Alternatively you may choose to have a pre-existing spell-like ability increases its uses per day by +1. To select this ability you must have at least 1st level Dragon Magic. You are subject to the same limitations of the Dragon Magic class ability.

Keen Senses (Ex): You can low-light vision and darkvision out to 30 feet. If taken a second time you gain superior low-light vision (out to four as far as normal) and darkvision to 60 feet. If taken a third time, you gain blindsense out to 60 feet. Unlike most dragon's blessings you may only take this one up to three times.

Frightful Presense (Su): You gain a dragon's frightful presence. Whenever you attack, charge, or otherwise pose hostile action all opponents in 30 feet with equal or less HD than you must make a Will save, DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma modifier to be shaken for 1 minute. Those with less than half your HD are instead frightened for 1 minute, then shaken for 1 minute. Those with more HD thank you and creatures of the dragon tpe are immune. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. Each time you take this ability, the range increases by 10 feet and your effective HD for this ability goes up by 1.

Scales (Ex): Your body develops small colors scales on its body, granting you +2 natural armor. Each time you take it, you gain another +2 natural armor.

Dragontouched (Ex): The blood of dragons is within you. Gain the dragonblood subtype, and you learn the language Draconic. If you already knew Draconic you may select a different language.

Jump (Ex): The classic dragoon ability, the dragoon leaps into the air ignoring all sense of gravity and weight and comes upon their opponent like a meteor. A dragoon never adds his armor check penalties to any jump checks he makes. As a standard action the dragoon may make a jump check with a DC equal to the height of the opponent (typically the size of the opponent's combat square, but exceptions exist). For example, to jump a medium creature the DC is 5, and to jump a gargauntuan creature the DC is 20. On a successful jump, you make a single attack and deal an extra 1 point of damage per class level. You take no fall damage on landing and end in a space adjucant to your opponent.

Alternatively by jumping as a full round action, you hang in the air before coming down with greater force. You deal 1d6+1 points of damage per class level, but as you are airborne for the entire round the enemy has a chance to move out of the way. For each 5 points you exceed the required jump check, you may correct your path by 5 feet to ensure the opponent foes not escape your attack. For example if you jump a medium creature (DC 5) and obtain a result of 26, you may adjust your impact zone by 20 feet from your originally targeted square.

In both cases, you must still hit. If you have leapt over 10 feet above the enemy's square your dive is considered a charge, gaining a +2 bonus to attack and -2 AC as normal. For the purposes of feats, you are considered to be mounted while jumping and may take the Ride-By Attack and Spirited Charge feats, ignoring the Mounted Combat requirement and changing all Ride requirements to Jump. Ride-By Attack becomes Jump-By Attack, allowing you to jump, strike an opponent in mid air, and fall back to earth, making it an effective way to kill flying monsters if you lack flight.

If you fire a bow while jumping, it deals the extra damage, as well as gaining a bonus to range increment equal to 10 per class level.

Dragon Magic (Sp): At 2nd level the dragon's blood within grants the dragoon some arcane spell-like abilities. He may select a single 1st level spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. He may cast this as a spell-like ability 1/day. If the spell involves an expensive material component, focus, or xp cost, he must pay this cost as normal. At level 4 and every 2 levels beyond you gain another spell-like ability, up to a new maximum spell level or less, un until a 9th level spell at 18th level. The spell-like abilities are Charisma based.

Draconic Resistances (Ex): At 2nd level the dragoon gains the resistances of a dragon, obtaining 1/2 his class level to saving throws against sleep, paralysis, and the element associated with the dragon's breath weapon.

Puddle Jumper (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you may jump across the surface of the water by making a DC 11 Jump check. Increase DC as appropriate to the surface of the water.

Armor Mastery (Ex): At 3rd level a dragoon is used to being covered in the heavy metallic scales of armor. He may move his normal speed in medium armor as if it were light armor. He may also wield a buckler or light shield while weilding a polearm, having found a means to hold onto it while freeing his hand to brace the weapon. At 6th level, he may move in heavy armor up to his normal speed as well, and may wield heavy shields with polearms.

Great Leap (Ex): At 3rd level a dragoon always makes Jump checks as if he was running and had the Run feat, enabling him to make long and high jumps without a running start, and granting a +4 bonus to her jump check.

Augment Jump: At 4th and every four levels after (8th, 12th, etc.) your Jump class ability improves as you develop new ways of landing on people's heads. You may select any of the following abilities. Unless otherwise specified you may only select an ability once.

Augmented Critical (Ex): Choose one weapon type (such as lances or longspears). You may either choose the critical multiplier to increase by one step (such as x3 to x4) or increase the threat range by one step (from 19-20/x2 to 18-20/x2). You may only select one or the other, not both, and this does not stack with any similar class features or abilities.

Bonus Feat (Ex): Your knowledge of combat gives you insight on new tricks. You gain a bonus feat from the fighter bonus feat list. You must qualify for the feat as normal. Unlike most abilities you may take this ability multiple times.

Cloudfeet (Su): You may end your movement mid-jump and hang there as if it were a solid ground. You effectively are under the effect of air walk. You may stay airborne for up to 1 round per class level per day. The rounds do not need to be concecutive.

Powerful Dive (Ex): Your standard action jump attack deals 2 damage per class level, and your full-round action dive have the damage die increase by 1 step to 1d8+1 per class level. You may also delay your landing by an additional full-round action if you so choose. In which case you deal 2d8+2 damage per class level.

Rocket Lance (Ex): Being able to jump so high grants strong leg muscles able to release energy at a moment's notice. You gain the ability to sprint 1/hour, allowing you to travel at up to x10 your normal speed in a straight line. After you sprint, you are rendered fatigued. If you were already fatigued you are now exhausted.

Shellbreaker (Ex): Your powerful blows from the sky allows you to bypass many of the traditional means of defense on creatures, striking true. You may ignore any damage reduction (except for DR/-) when using your Jump class skill. You may perform this up to 4 + your Charisma modifier times per day (minimum 1).

Shockwave (Ex): When you strike your opponent you strike so hard you break the earth below you. All opponents in a 10 foot radius burst take the extra damage from your Jump attack with a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma) for half. Unlike most abilities, you may take this power multiple times. Each time you take it, the range increases by 10 feet and the DC increases by +1.

Gae Bolg (Ex): Your connection to your dragon grows stronger. Any weapon you wield is treated as having the appropriate elemental ability. Blue and Bronze dragoons gain the Shocking property, Black, Copper, and Green dragoons gain the Acidic property, Red, Gold, and Brass dragoons gain the Flaming property, and Silver and White dragoons gain the Freezing property. At 7th level, these increase to the Burst version of each.

Dragonbane (Su): At 11th level your not merely a knight of dragons but also a slayer of dragons. Any weapons your wield gain a minimum of a +5 enchantment bonus and the Bane property against dragons that oppose your dragon's alignments (therefore if your chosen dragon is a gold dragon, LG, then you have bane against all chaotic and all evil dragons such as the red dragon, blue dragon, copper dragons, and the like). The effect only applies against dragons and not other creatures.

Timeless Body (Ex): After attaining 15th level, a dragoon no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged, now given the vitality of a dragon. Any penalties he may have already incurred, however, remain in place.

Bonuses still accrue, and the dragoon still dies of old age when his time is up.

Meteor Strike (Su): At 19th level you can strike with meteoric force at the ground, at the risk of your own safety. So long as you are under open skies, you may fly into the air and right into orbit. After 2 rounds of being out of combat you return on the third round, striking any point within 1 mile of your launch point. If you strike your target, your hit automatically becomes a critical hit, and you deal maximum damage. Regardless if you hit your target or not, all those in a 60 foot radius are subject to 2d6 damage per class level, half fire and half sonic damage with a Reflex save for half (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma). If you struck your initial target, they recieve no saving throw against the explosion. As a result of the impact you take 10d6 nonlethal damage and are dazed for 1 round. You may perform a Meteor Strike 1/day.

Dragonheart (Ex): At 20th level, your body is changed by the draconic energy within you. You become immune to sleep, paralysis, and to the elemental type of your dragon as if you were a half-dragon of that type. You gain the dragon type, but may count as a member of your original race when beneficial. So long as either you or your dragon familiar remains alive, you are never truely dead and any ressurection attempts are free of cost and drain no xp. If both you and your familair have perished, you must pay ressurection costs as normal.

A dragoon who changes to a prohibited alignment dictated by the alignment of their chosen dragon loses all spell-like abilities, their dragon familiar, and any supernatural ability (but not any extraordinary abilities or class abilities such as Jump). He cannot thereafter gain levels as a dragoon until he atones (see the atonement spell description).

Religion: While dragoons do not nessicarly venerate dragons as gods, they hold them in high importance. As a result, they often end up following draconic dieties such as Bahamut or Tiamat, and some become Dragonborn themselves.

Other Classes: Dragoons can relate to the zeal of paladins and clerics, the training of fighters, and even the arcane mastery of sorcererkind. Perhaps only rogues, mistrustful as they are, and barbarians who are simply unfocused are ever doubted.

Combat: Dragoons are front-liner damage dealers who typically fill the role of charger. If they do not actually have a mount to charge with, then their Jump ability counts as a mountain charge enough. Spirited Charge and a Lance are nearly required for all but the most unusual dragoon.

Advancement: Dragoons who multiclass lose out on high level benefits but can still use Jump. Combined with other sources of damage or classes which benefit chargers, and multiclassing may be viable.

Daily Life: The Dragoon is ultimately a knight with a great respect for dragons, be it veneration for dragons they are close to or awareness of the dangers of dragons who oppose them. They are likely entangled deeply in the politics of dragons, acting as their pawns in the great game of chess that is the world.

Notables: A great dragoon named Cain was once known across the land, but he has gone missing. Some say he's fallen under mind control.

Organizations: Dragoons are almost always part of an organization, be it military or under the direct control of a dragon. The rare wandering dragoon acting solo is sometimes the result of him befriending a wyrmling who becomes his familiar, and is otherwise disconnected to the politics at large.

NPC Reactions: The stately dragoon gives all the awe and fear of a knight would, but high level dragoons come along with dragons, a scene to cause a stir, fear, and respect depending on the circumstances.

Sample Encounter: The hero Cain has gone missing and now some say a terrible dragon is attacking the land, using a familiar looking knight who bombs his opponents from the sky. Find out the fate of Cain and stop him if need be.